The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Irita Kutchmy, adapted from C.S.Lewis

Dramacube Productions

Hampton Hill Theatre - 03 January 2019

Winter Distillation of Delight

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by Irita Kutchmy, adapted from C.S.Lewis

Dramacube Productions at Hampton Hill Theatre, until 23rd December

Review by Thomas Forsythe

Spiritual, magical, fantastical, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe blends everything that impinges on the imagination of a child … and of an adult. Dramacube’s Christmas family show inspires the imaginations of the young performers to create a seasonal delight.

The popularity C.S.Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia has endured for seven decades. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first in the series, as an allegory for redemption through the sacrifice of Christ, has a huge resonance at Christmas, but whatever their beliefs, Dramacube’s audience warmed to the story that was so touchingly told by the young actors.

The black and white set, by Christine Osborne, makes economical use of the Hampton Hill stage. Simple and crisp, it has a precision suited to the wintery concept of Narnia, the land of mythical creatures that the White Witch has sequestered in snows a century deep, never to enjoy the respite of Christmas. This is the Narnia that is entered by chance through the back of an old wardrobe by four children, siblings evacuated from wartime London to an old country house.

The youngest child, Lucy, is the first to discover the way into the land of Narnia. Rosa Bruce-Ball gives an attractive interpretation of the innocent Lucy, lost in wonder in a strange world. Her first encounter is with the kind-hearted Mr Tumnus, a talking faun, who befriends Lucy. Monty Appleton’s pictures Tumnus as a reticent, diffident creature, but one who can trip a nice pas-de-deux with Lucy.

Edmund, the next to enter Narnia, is seduced by the White Witch and becomes a quisling, betraying his siblings. Jake McGowan portrays Edmund with animated naughtiness, but streaked with spite in the thrall of the White Witch. Daisy Allen is exceptional as the White Witch. Powerful and commanding, she steps into the character with malevolent gusto (even showing a flash of “sleigh-rage” when a prop encumbers her preferred means of transportation) … …